Fenerbahce team bus shot at in north Turkey

Driver of coach carrying football players was wounded in highway gun attack

Fenerbahce’s player Emre Belozoglu (c) and head coach Ismail Kartal (r) standing inside their bus after an attack by a gunman on a highway in northern Turkey. Photograph: STR/EPA
Fenerbahce’s player Emre Belozoglu (c) and head coach Ismail Kartal (r) standing inside their bus after an attack by a gunman on a highway in northern Turkey. Photograph: STR/EPA

A coach carrying Fenerbahce football players was shot at on a highway in northern Turkey.

The driver of the bus was wounded and taken to hospital.

Abdulcelil Oz, the governor of Trabzon, said the driver appeared to have been hit by a bullet.

He had earlier said that the driver was believed to have been hit by a stone.

READ SOME MORE

“The latest situation is that it appears to be a gun,” the governor said.

“It is too soon to say anything definite, but it appears to be a type of bullet fired by a rifle.”

Fenerbahce TV said the coach was attacked by an assailant with a shotgun.

Accident averted

It said security officers on board quickly took control of the coach and safely stopped it after the driver was hit, averting an accident. None of the players were hurt.

The attack came after the team's 5-1 win over the Black Sea side Caykur Rizespor in their Turkish Super League game.

The players were travelling from the city of Rize to the airport in the neighbouring city of Trabzon, to return to Istanbul.

Mr Oz said an investigation had been launched and vowed to catch the gunman.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan and Turkish clubs condemned the attack.

PA